Group canvasses judiciary model for state police

The police can be structured in the same manner as the judiciary, a civil society coalition, OneVoice, has said.

It recommended the option of duplicating the police structure at the state level, which it said would mean that the Federal Government could retain overall control of the police, but with more state involvement.

OneVoice noted that although state governors are empowered to appoint High Court judges and the Chief Judge, with the Houses of Assembly’s consent, they (judges) are paid by the Federal Government through the National Judicial Council (NJC).

The group said governors could also be empowered to appoint commissioners of police with the approval of state lawmakers.

This, the group said, would give governors more powers over the head of police in their states as chief security officers rather than depending on a central command structure where all orders come from Abuja.

OneVoice said the arrangement would also mean that states would have their police service commissions as does the judiciary.

Senior Programme Officer at the Human Rights Law Service (HURILAWS) Mr Collins Okeke, at a media parley by One Voice in Lagos, said rather than creating state police, the current policing structure could be reformed.

“We can duplicate what is at the federal level at the states. The judiciary model can be adopted. There should be more state involvement in policing,” he said.

Okeke was of the view that the office of the Inspector-General of Police should have security of tenure, while police funding should be on first line charge.

To him, creating state police would amount to running away from the problem rather than finding a solution.

“It appears we don’t like to solve problems in Nigeria. If something is faulty, we create new ones. Rather than interrogate a problem, we push it aside and create a new one,” he said.

OneVoice Media Committee chair Pastor Deji Adeleye said the police was “castrated” through underfunding and inadequate recruitment of men.

He said rather than creating state police, states could be empowered to recruit the number of policemen they want from their locality while serving officers should be made to return and serve in their states.

“The present structure is faulty and we need to address the issues rather than calling for state police. After exploring all these reform options, state police can then be considered. It should not be the primary focus,” Adeleye said.

NOPRIN Foundation co-ordinator Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma, said rather than outright rejection of the idea of state police, the government should consider it objectively, weighing the merits against the demerits against other options.